Forty years ago an old friend (from the '50s) who had a nursery told me he discovered trees grow faster, better, FROM SEED. The trick is to protect them with covers, like tubes or the mylar cones he used. He used old, cleaned X-rays (chemically washed to reclaim the silver coating). He formed the squares into cones, leaving a top hole and glued them. He also build a mylar green house. He found the sprouted seeds grew without work IF protected after one watering. They beat out his pampered nursery seedlings, the seed catching up to a 3 year old in one year and going ahead the next year. Don't pay a nursery! Sprout, plant, protect. Tubes or cones are reusable, forever. The cones, having a wide base, don't blow away, need no stake.
@3:38 tree tubes also moderate hot temperatures/direct sunlight and contain moisture. @8:56 use with mulch like grass clippings or wood chips for even better results. mulch also contains moisture and moderates soil temperature, as well as controls weeds.
Do you use these at all with apple trees ? What type of trees are you mainly planting with these ? Seems like the trunks on them wouldn’t grow long enough to reach the top ? Thx, great info & advice ? 👍⚾️
thank you for the comments and questions. I use them on any new tree I plant that is smaller. It really allows for you to get a good head start. I have even planed an acorn that I was able to get sprouted and put a tube over it and it will grow. Don't worry about the height of the tree with the tube. It will grow out of the tube eventually. Thanks again, and have a great week.
I will leave them on for a good amount of time. Normally, when the tree starts to get large enough to where I do not need to use the tube I will take it off. I determine that based on the trunk being half the size of the tube and really healthy. I hope this helps.
60" is what I use. They are well worth the money. Make sure the holes are at the top so if you chose to spray a poison to keep the weeds down you won't hit the tree.
Great information and all true facts. We have switched to rebar for stakes on our chestnut orchard. and we just did a video on steel zip ties, you should check that out. Great info, thanks for sharing.
Excellent. I looked strongly at rebar for my trees based on a recommendation of my neighbor and then then about three weeks later he ran over one with the bushhog that he had left in the field when staking trees. It didn't hit him but literally stuck in a tree. The are truly more sturdy. Thank you for the feedback. Ill check out your video.
Many thanks for posting vid. I planted ball root pear and apple trees this spring. I purchased plantra tubes but did not put them on. i am planning on pruning the trees to allow the tubes to fit over the trees with tops of trees sticking above the tubes. I appreciate your idea as to my plan. Thanks again.
You are very welcome and I appreciate the feedback. We are all on here to help each other and Im glad I was able to extend my experience to someone that can use it. Have a great day.
Forty years ago an old friend (from the '50s) who had a nursery told me he discovered trees grow faster, better, FROM SEED. The trick is to protect them with covers, like tubes or the mylar cones he used. He used old, cleaned X-rays (chemically washed to reclaim the silver coating). He formed the squares into cones, leaving a top hole and glued them. He also build a mylar green house. He found the sprouted seeds grew without work IF protected after one watering. They beat out his pampered nursery seedlings, the seed catching up to a 3 year old in one year and going ahead the next year. Don't pay a nursery! Sprout, plant, protect. Tubes or cones are reusable, forever. The cones, having a wide base, don't blow away, need no stake.
Many thanks for your feedback. We love the tubes here on the farm. I think it is a great investment.
@3:38 tree tubes also moderate hot temperatures/direct sunlight and contain moisture.
@8:56 use with mulch like grass clippings or wood chips for even better results. mulch also contains moisture and moderates soil temperature, as well as controls weeds.
Great suggestions. Thank you.
Do you use these at all with apple trees ? What type of trees are you mainly planting with these ? Seems like the trunks on them wouldn’t grow long enough to reach the top ? Thx, great info & advice ? 👍⚾️
thank you for the comments and questions. I use them on any new tree I plant that is smaller. It really allows for you to get a good head start. I have even planed an acorn that I was able to get sprouted and put a tube over it and it will grow. Don't worry about the height of the tree with the tube. It will grow out of the tube eventually. Thanks again, and have a great week.
Do you leave the tree tubes on permanently?
I will leave them on for a good amount of time. Normally, when the tree starts to get large enough to where I do not need to use the tube I will take it off. I determine that based on the trunk being half the size of the tube and really healthy. I hope this helps.
Can i use these for figs?
I think they will be too narrow for a fig tree
What’s the best height to purchase so that deer don’t browse off all the growth above the tube as it grows? 60” should be tall enough right?
60" is what I use. They are well worth the money. Make sure the holes are at the top so if you chose to spray a poison to keep the weeds down you won't hit the tree.
Great information and all true facts. We have switched to rebar for stakes on our chestnut orchard. and we just did a video on steel zip ties, you should check that out. Great info, thanks for sharing.
Excellent. I looked strongly at rebar for my trees based on a recommendation of my neighbor and then then about three weeks later he ran over one with the bushhog that he had left in the field when staking trees. It didn't hit him but literally stuck in a tree. The are truly more sturdy. Thank you for the feedback. Ill check out your video.
What's the life expectancy for the tube? Is it UV treated?
Life expectancy on these is seven years. Yes, they are UV treated. I love them and will not plant a tree without them. Hope this helps.
@@StewartFarmApiary thanks
Oh wow. That's good to know.
Great video. I am facing many of the issues duscussed, and am going to give this a try. Thank you.
You are very welcome. Glad you enjoyed the video.
Many thanks for posting vid. I planted ball root pear and apple trees this spring. I purchased plantra tubes but did not put them on. i am planning on pruning the trees to allow the tubes to fit over the trees with tops of trees sticking above the tubes. I appreciate your idea as to my plan. Thanks again.
You are very welcome and I appreciate the feedback. We are all on here to help each other and Im glad I was able to extend my experience to someone that can use it. Have a great day.
You can always cut the tube along its length and wrap it around the trunk, rather than having to prune the tree to fit the tube over.